Parents of Elsa Corp suing the state over her murder at hands of parolee

THE parents of Elsa Janet Corp, who was killed on a blind date in 2010, have joined other victims of parolee killers in a group legal action against the State Government.

Elsa Corp was murdered by a man on parole in 2010.

THE parents of Elsa Janet Corp, who was killed on a blind date in 2010, have joined other victims of parolee killers in a group legal action against the State Government.

The couple claim the state was responsible for releasing Clifford on parole and monitor in his whereabouts to keep the public safe.

Elsa’s family helped bring about some of the nation’s toughest parole laws after petitioning the State Government for the changes.

Gillian and Andrew Corp co-ordinated a petition, which was tabled in Parliament, with 11,631 signatures in support of the changes dubbed “Elsa’s law”.

Elsa’s killer, David Patrick Clifford, was on parole for drug trafficking when he bashed, stabbed and strangled the 26-year-old in a South Melbourne hotel room.

Clifford was sentenced to 23 years’ jail for killing the petite hairdresser.

In June the Herald Sun revealed the families of five murder victims -

Sarah Cafferkey, Raechel Betts, Joanne Wicking, Evan Rudd, and Douglas Phillips - have joined in the group action, along with the victims of two sex attacks.

Bridget O’Toole, whose husband and Hastings Jeweller Dermot O’Toole was killed during a bungled 2013 robbery has also joined the group of victims of horrific murders and sex assaults committed by offenders on parole or under supervision orders.

Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth described Ms Corp as a “vibrant, friendly, enthusiastic young woman, who loved her life and was full of hopes and plans for the future”.

The pair were on a blind date after being introduced by friends and ended up at a city hotel where they took illegal drugs.

The court heard Clifford had been on a three-day drug bender and had little memory of what happened but recalled having a disagreement after taking the drugs and that an iron and towel rail were involved.

Ms Corp sustained 60 cuts and abrasions to her head and neck, facial and skull fractures, injuries to her back, abdomen and other limbs and had several broken ribs. Her spinal cord had also been severed due to rotational force.

Elsa was so badly injured her mother could not recognise her.

After killing Elsa, Clifford set fire to the smashed-up hotel room and fled, striking two pedestrians with his car as he drove off.

He was arrested hours later at his home, where he claimed he had been the victim of an assault.

Clifford had also breached an earlier suspended sentence and was awaiting sentence for bashing a Fitzroy bar owner and patron in 2008.

His convictions included aggravated burglary on an elderly couple’s home, false imprisonment, intentionally causing injury, assault, resisting police, harassing a witness, breaching an intervention order, drug trafficking, dangerous driving, car theft and possession of an unregistered firearm.

Family and friends of Ms Corp applauded as Clifford was sentenced to a minimum 19 years behind bars for his “horrific crime”.

Outside court, Ms Corp said no sentence would be enough for taking the life of her “lovely girl”.

“It’s never going to be enough and he shouldn’t have been out of jail,” she said.

Mr Corp called for the return of the death penalty.